The great Polish-American animator Max Fleischer (1883-1972) and his production studios created iconic animations with characters like Betty Boop, Koko the Clown, Felix the Cat, Popeye the Sailorman, Superman and more. In 1926, Fleischer released the first cartoon with synchronized sound, My Old Kentucky Home. His love of jazz led to cartoons (live action & animation) like Minnie the Moocher, featuring the earliest known footage of Cab Calloway in performance.
In June, the Velaslavasay Panorama‘s marvelous ‘Film-In-Residence’ series will showcase a selection of Fleischer’s rare, silent-era animations with live accompaniment from Mista Ragtime (aka John Reed-Torres). Then follows a ‘soundie’ selection of short documentaries, ‘Screen Song’ cartoons, and more.
‘Film in Residence’ is predicated on the old-tyme idea that movies should enjoy long theatrical run. It’s also predicated on our kid-hood memory that Saturday afternoons were made for the movies! It’s also predicated on the fact that the Panorama is a loving restoration of the Union Theater just north of the campus of University of Southern California. Boop-boop-be-doop, be there !
Presented in partnership with Fabulous Fleischer Cartoons Restored (Jane Fleischer Reid, granddaughter of Max Fleisher & Mauricio Alvarado), dedicated to preserving and promoting the cartoons of Fleischer Studios for old and new audiences.
Film-In-Residence: Animations & Shorts by Max Fleischer Studios | Velaslavasay Panorama | three Saturday afternoons in June